A one and a two and… : a dancers’ guide to getting your groove on in Brussels

Martha Graham called it the hidden language of the soul, but some are just looking to bust a move on Brussels' dancefloors, without making a fool of themselves.

Not sure your fancy footwork skills are up to snuff? Lucky for you, Brussels is filled with dance studios, classes, workshops and parties. From belly dancing to down-home American country line dancing, you're guaranteed to find a teacher for every style, every taste and every budget. So, strap on your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie with this guide to cutting a rug in Brussels.

Salsa, bachata and beyond

Among the most popular forms of dance to learn are the various Latin dance styles, including salsa, bachata and merengue. Leading the list in popularity is salsa, that spicy partner dance coming out of New York City’s Cuban and Puerto Rican populations. Salsa.be is the your go-to guide for all things salsa in Belgium. The website’s a bit of a mess, but it gives a comprehensive rundown of all salsa-related events and activities, along with other Latin dance parties.

If you’re new to the genre, free courses are easy to find. Weekly salsa parties will often have a lesson portion at the beginning of the evening before the dance fest begins. La Tentation, one of the best dance venues in town, for example, has salsa nights every Sunday, complete with free lessons. To practice your new moves, immerse yourself in Latin culture at Cartagena Salsa Bar in the city centre, where Tuesday through Sunday is always a big Latin dance party.  Last but not least, O’Dance holds its O’Dance Fiesta every Wednesday at the gorgeous old monastery at Bouche à Oreille in Etterbeek.

If formal courses are more your thing, try Salsa Bruxelles, a dance school with courses in French and English that also teaches bachata, merengue, chacha and many others.

Kizomba

Kizomba, a dance and music style coming out of Angola with heavy Portuguese and French Caribbean influences, has steadily been gaining ground in the Brussels dance scene.

Slower and, some say, more romantic than salsa, you’ll also find kizomba music mixed into many Latin parties. It’s a sensual partner dance style that takes some practice to get right. Kizombalove gives kizomba lessons and free practice every Thursday night at Bar La Cour in Ixelles. You can also combine your lessons with other Latin dance lessons at the Thursdays night Latin fusion parties at Montecristo and Cartagena has a Kizomba night on Thursdays as well. For those who can’t get enough, there is even an annual Brussels Kizomba Festival, which will take place next year in March.

Tango

Another partner-styler dance from Latin American, tango, originating in Argentina, is a dance apart in the Latin dance scene. Whether you’re a true beginner or an aficionado, everything you need to know about where to find classes and events can be found on Milonga.be, organised by location and skill level.

While the Brussels Tango Festival just passed us by in April, there are plenty of other places to see and practice the dance. Again, Cartagena lends itself as a practice space with Monday tango nights. La Tentation offers Monday and Wednesday evenings for tango lessons and practice.

Swing

It seems you can’t swing a cat in Brussels these days without hitting a swing dancer. In recently years, the jazz dance has become very popular and the city is replete with swing lessons and weekly swing nights at a few bars and venues.

Schools such as the Brussels Swing Dance Club, Apollo Swing in Jette and Easy Swing organise classes in various forms of swing dance, from Lindy Hop to Balbao to the Charleston. Courses typically cost around €12 a piece with discounts for paying for multiple courses at once.

For some practice, throw on your poodle skirt and head to Madame Moustache for its Swing it out Tuesdays lindy hop party or watch the schedule for mobiles mobile Magic Mirrors tent for one of their swing speakeasies.

Photo courtesy ING Image